REALTIME INTERACTIVE STREAMING

Increase viewer engagement by enhancing how audiences experience live events

LIVE STREAMING LATENCY LEADS TO LOST VIEWERS AND REVENUE

As viewers increasingly consume live online content, one of the primary complaints with watching live sports and other realtime events is the delay between the live event and the online stream. With live online viewing typically delayed 30 seconds or more, viewers may learn about an important play or goal from social media before they see it online. To provide viewers with the most engaging online experiences that keep them coming back for more, you need true realtime streaming.

THE LATENCY CHALLENGE

The internet wasn’t designed for streaming live video. Unlike a traditional live broadcast signal path where latencies can be easily minimized, HTTP streaming formats such as MPEG-DASH and HLS break the video into small segments or chunks that must be buffered prior to playback. While it’s possible to reduce the size of the chunks to provide low-latency, making them too small increases the chance viewers will experience video rebuffering and other playback issues. Adobe Flash had been a popular option for live online streaming, but security issues with the Flash plug-in and reduced browser support led Adobe to end support in 2020. The industry needs a new realtime streaming solution that is able to support live global broadcast-quality, sub-second streaming using standard web browsers without special plug-ins.

LIMELIGHT REALTIME STREAMING

To address this challenge, Limelight has introduced an innovative solution that provides sub-second live video streaming to viewers, wherever they are located. Limelight Realtime Streaming utilizes the open and scalable industry-standard WebRTC technology to deliver reliable, broadcast-quality, realtime video streaming using the UDP data transfer protocol. WebRTC is natively supported on all major browsers including Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, and Opera, making it easy for viewers to enjoy realtime streaming without the need for special plug-ins. This solution is integrated with Limelight’s global Content Delivery Network which has the capacity, reach, and connectivity to ensure a high quality, realtime viewing experience for audiences everywhere.

In addition to sub-second video delivery, Limelight Realtime Streaming provides all the tools and capabilities you need to ensure efficient and reliable operation during critical live events. These include: adaptive bitrate streaming for the highest possible picture quality to each viewer even over changing network conditions; redundant ingest capability with seamless failover; integrated content security, ingest stream authentication, and access control capabilities including geolocation blocking to stop unauthorized viewing; and robust analytics to help understand viewer behavior and improve content monetization.

In addition to sub-second live delivery, Limelight Realtime Streaming lets content distributors create innovative live interactive global online experiences that were not previously possible. Realtime interactive data can be integrated with the live video, opening up new possibilities for how viewers interact with the content provider and each other. For example, sports fans can receive realtime statistics about the match or their favorite players and even vote for the player of the match, wager on who will score the next goal, or choose which camera angle they would like to view – right from their computer or mobile device. Gamers can have an integrated chat channel with their video. Fans of eSports can participate in event commentary along with the live in-arena audience. Limelight Realtime Streaming opens up new business opportunities in sports, gaming, auctions, and more by making live viewing a more interactive social experience. Content distributors now have additional opportunities to monetize live video content by offering value-added experiences that were not previously possible.

Limelight Realtime Streaming delivers true realtime video using standard web browsers without special plug-ins. By integrating realtime data, you can make live viewing an interactive social experience that increases viewer engagement and offers new opportunities to monetize live streams. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you deliver the best live experiences.